Music Monday: Relevant Songs of the Week

Yes, Music Monday is back. Half of you opened this post for the sake of breaking away from the usual cog-in-the-machine routine of life to be entertained by my words and the music I present to you. The other half will whine because the songs I chose for this week don’t meet your aesthetic standards. If the latter is dissatisfied with the list I’ve made, send any suggestions for Music Monday tracks to [email protected]. Now, here are nine relevant songs from this past week.

1.) Aerosol Can – Major Lazer featuring Pharrell: This track was leaked on Thursday by WorldStar Hip Hop and holds the simplistic yet mesmerizing beat that captivates my attention. Cross that with a dose of Pharrell Williams’ smooth and visionary lyrics and you have yourself a song with all the proper components.

2.)Dare You – Hardwell featuring Matthew Koma: I’m sure every EDM fan has heard that Levels has successfully lured Hardwell to the Bryce Jordan Center because tickets are sold out for the DJ’s show on April 19. As a way to celebrate, here is Hardwell’s latest single that I have frequently heard blaring out of apartments downtown since the show was announced.

3.) After the Disco – Broken Bells: With the band’s latest album set to release tomorrow, what better time than now to appreciate the title track off the new LP that embodies both a dance hall anthem and a dark, mind-warping swan song. Very catchy, yet very creepy.

4.) American Pie – Don McLean:You may ask yourself “Why would he choose this song?” 55 years ago on this day, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash. Don McLean wrote this song as a tribute to the three musicians, referring to February 3, 1959 as “The Day the Music Died.”

5.) Radioactive (Live on SNL) – Imagine Dragons featuring Kendrick Lamar: If you loved this collaboration at the GRAMMYs, you’ll love it even more after watching these artists do it all over again.

6.) Can’t Remember to Forget You – Shakira featuring Rihanna: The new collaboration between two of pop’s top ladies has made headlines for its music video. However, when you’re done watching that, actually listen to the song. It’s one of the Shakira’s catchiest songs yet.

7.) Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers: This was much, much better than I expected. Mars showed that he is an amazing, multi-talented performer, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers were the Red Hot Chili Peppers. There have been some halftime duds recently, so it was awesome to see an entertaining performance from these two.

8.) Fade Away – We Came as Romans: After it was announced that WCAR will perform a free show at Penn State this weekend, it’s only appropriate that we got the metalcore act in here. Like all metalcore acts, We Came As Romans certainly isn’t for everyone, but this song is one of my favorites.

9.) Ain’t It Fun – Paramore: The song itself is catchy — another indication of how Paramore has strayed away from its punk roots and become more of a pop band — but the video is awesome. Paramore set out to break the most world records in a music video. Check it out to see whether or not they succeeded!